I got the opportunity to sample this via a German connection and I am glad that I did.

Vauen are of course a pipe maker and this brand is obviously made for them. Who by? I don't know, but the packaging, look of the flake and overall composition lead me to believe that it is most probably Mac Baren.

So we have a perfectly formed flake and a tin note that is both fruity and nutty alongside the expected natural sweetness of the base leaf.

The aroma from the tin pleasingly carries on into the smoke, where there is a taste which I can only describe as nougat, if this means nothing to anyone outside the UK, then my apologies.

As others have observed the flavour deepens a little further down the bowl, but it never departs from an underlying fruit and nut tang which remains pleasant throughout. Cased? Maybe. And if so very successfully in my opinion.

An interesting twist on an old standard, whatever the Vauen boffins specified in the composition of this blend, then they have done a fine job.

Nice tobacco, really. Easy on the breakup of the flake and very friendly to light up. Comes in a neat little square can that will undoubtedly be useful in my quagmire of of a smoking/play room.

Strength --- on a scale(don't you just hate that expression?)of one to ten with the usual parameters from weak to strong at 10 I'd have to say it is about a "4". a pleasant"4" but nevertheless a "4".

Flavoring--- I didn't notice much if any. Then again tobacco tastes like tobacco to me unless the flavoring getsmore than a little obtrusive.Danish, German,and English blends were and are I can tolerate.That being verbosely said this tobacco Vauen ( the guys at PipesandCigars.com say it is pronounced "Vaugh")is a lightly flavored offering similar to Peter Stokkbye's Luxury Blend series. Most similar to Navy or perhaps Twist.

Romm Note/Aroma --- I don't have to worry about this but it does seem very pleasant.

Taste --- As has been stated it tastes nice. Not a "Wowser" but a pretty fair taste. Light Virginia is what is promised and delivered. Probably would make a good mixer for some of the "high-toney" blends as well.

Would I buy iot again? Probably not even though the price is very nice I would go with Peter Stokkebye probably for the same money. Just a personal opinion,mind you.

(Sorta like going to the senior prom with your cousin and hoping to meet the hottie from English Lit. class and dump your cousin on someone.)

In conclusion a good tobacco but not a remarkable tobacco--- at least not for me.If you are looking for a very mild and unassuming Virginia blend you might want to meet my cousin at the senior prom in 1965.

The tobacco is a light mottled brown with prominent bits of very light stem embedded in the flake.

Tin Aroma is musty. I've had the same sensation in farm wineries - slightly fruity, but musty wood and grass aromas dominate. The flakes are very moist, and it is difficult to peel them off of each other. Upon rubbing out the flake and taking a deep inhale of the unburned tobac, the scent is more reminiscent of a Hay barn - the mustiness and grassiness take me back to when I used to throw and stack hay bales for the local farmers as a youth. I managed to pick off about a flake and a half and fold/stuff into the pipe. There was just enough sticking out the top of the pipe to rub out with my fingertips for easy lighting.

The charring light can be harsh. Initially, the flakes are very moist, and my initial reaction is that I should have let them dry. However, this blend lit right up, and after about the first quarter of the bowl, it really settled down. After the charring light, I got no tongue bite. This flake reminds me of an unscented Erinmore flake. The tobaccos are very similar, right down to the cigarette-ish flavor of the tobacco (sans acrid paper of course!) There has got to be a some burley in this blend - both because the blend did not bite, and because of the nutty bitterness that is telling of a burley. It's there. The middle of the bowl was rather unremarkable, in that there wasn't huge depth to this smoke, but it burned well and the cigarette tobacco qualities gave way to more of a cigar / cocoa smoke. The nicotine content was similar to that of a mild cigar as well, and wasn't entirely noticable until the bottom quarter of the bowl.

The flakes smoked down to a nice dark ash. This flake rubs out nicely, and Rubbed out, the smoke seemed a bit hotter, and harsher, but still did not bite, but I didn't force it, either. I think that the virginias stand out a bit more when rubbed out. (Both in the unburned aroma and burning state of the tobacco.)

Room note is almost pure tobacco. The ingering aroma is more cigarette than pipe. I'm not sure if this is a bad thing, but it may be a quality that prevents some from smoking it inside.

I'd give this a three out of four stars. It's a nice and pleasant unscented Virginia Flake. I think there are better out there, but it is definitely worth a try. I am planning on throwing a few tins in the cellar to see what some age does.

Suddenly “erinmore” (a fellow smoker from pipeclub.gr) introduced this tobacco into our lives. He reviewed this tobacco so fondly that forced me to search for it anxiously, but unfortunately I didn't find any understanding from my friends. With sweat and suffering, I managed to get hold of a second tin, which obligatory in order to open the first one. Pure, very sweet Virginia, “made” as a very beautiful and convenient – concerning the filling – flake. As the tobacco burns further and further down the bowl, its taste is improving and changing. It lights easily and it can bite if you rush your puffing. It is not very heavy. I must perform a comparative test between No14 VAUEN and Golden Glow so decide who gets the top position in my Virginia preferences. PS. Necessary correction. Eventually this tobacco was introduced into our lives by “Paris”, through “erinmore”. Just to restore the facts.

This is a nice blend of straight sweet VA. It will not lnock you socks off but it could easily be an all day blend as it has no bite at all if dried out a little. It comes in long thin flakes that break up easily and a touch too moist right out of the tin. Dried for a couple of hours being left out, it is just right. It breaks up essily to rub out, but I like to roll it up and stuff into my pipe bowl for a nice long slow smoke. It is the color of hay and the tin aroma is a musty vegi smell. Upon lighting up it has the nice hay like taste of a quality VA. It does gain strenth as it smokes down. It never gets overpowering or hot, but it goes from hay like to just sweet. It stays lit very well and burns down to a fine grey ash and no dottle. The room note is similiar to other Vs blends, some like it and some think it smells like cigarettes. I like it myself but a neighbor yelled over to me "are you smoking cigarettes now?". I would recommend this blend to anybody that wants a nice, smooth, no biting VA to smoke. For those that are really into to fancy VA's this might be a little simple for you.

The first to review this blend, an honor indeed. Picked up a tin of this in Frankfurt. Very nice flake with a surprising nuttiness to it, its almost like Solani's Aged Burley Flake on the mild side. No burley is listed in this blend so I'm not sure where this nuttiness or chocolate tone comes from. A solid VA flake well worth the try if and when visiting Germany....top marks to an interesting and genuine VA flake, from a top German company.

I happened upon this at my usual local B&M. I would tend to agree with another reviewer that this definitely is produced by MB. I have had MB's Navy Flake and it is presented and cut in exactly the same fashion. If they were in unmarked tins, you couldn't tell the difference visually. A fine flake this is too. It lights up easily and stays lit with no problem. This has a decent dose of nicotine and it burns down to a nice ash at the bottom of the bowl. Definitely recommended for those who like a very good Virginia flake.

This one delivers deep rather than bright Virginia flavours. Medium brown in colour I would venture to say that No. 14 contains either some burley or some Virginias that rival burley in strength.

Perhaps the latter is more likely: blown through the nose there is no harshness at all, only that rich fragrance of good Virginia tobacco. Because of its full body I smoke it in a medium to small pipe. A Peterson 03 is ideal.

Another folded flake from K & K but different from the others . This tobacco comes the closest that I have ever tasted to straight Virginia . I mean no topping of any kind , just very well processed and high quality Virginia . You need to sip this one , make it last . it delivers subtle high notes that are the purest Virginia that I have ever tasted . It takes a few minutes to really get the goodness out of this tobacco but it is well worth the trouble . Pick a quiet time and puff slowly , you will thank me later . K & K is really the master of folded flakes .

Mild and lightly sweet it is, should you lightly sip away to get up to speed. Interesting, though, when you drop it two gears and dig deep. The VA piping equivalent of hitting 5800 RPM in a Honda Civic Si, when the sweet DOHC iVTEC kicks in. You are greeted with plumes of smoke, and a deep, full, flavor/taste of sweet Virginny, including the tingle on the nose when retrohaling. Lather, rinse, repeat...ad libidum. 4 stars for a pleasantly surprising sleeper!